Leather-splitting machine.



No. 655,730. Patented Aug. 14, I900.

F. J. PERKINS.

LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 6, 1900.) (No Modei.)

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

was rains ATNT "FFIQE.

FRANKLIN J. PERKINS, OF XVOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE VAUGHN MACHINE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

LEATHER-SPLITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,730, dated August 14, 1900. Application filed June 6, 1900. Serial No. 19,237. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN J. PERKINS, acitizen of the United States, residing in WVoburn, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Leather-Splitting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to leather-working machines of that class employing a bed-roll, a gage or pressure roll, and an intermediate ringroll, and has for its object to provide means whereby the ring-roll,which is set with its center in a Vertical line through the center of the gage-roll, may be prevented from being moved laterally with relation to said vertical line as the leather passed between the gage-roll and ring-roll varies in thickness.

The invention is particularly applicable to leather-splitting machines, which as heretofore constructed and known to meare defective in that as the pressure upon the ring-roll is increased, due to the increased thickness of the leather, the said ring-roll is forced downward and backward or toward the side of the machine at which the leather is fed into it, which resulted in the leather being presented to the cutting edge of the knife at a different angle than that at which it is presented when the ring-roll is in its normal position, thus causing the leather to be unevenly split.

This invention has for its object to provide machines of the class referred to with means whereby the ring-roll maybe free to move in a vertical line to respond to inequalities in thickness of the hide or skin, but is prevented from moving laterally from its normal position as the ring-roll is forced downward into the bed-roll by an increase in the thickness of the hide or skin. This result may and preferably will be effected by making the ring plate or table with its front edge straight and of a depth or thickness sufficient to extend to and preferably beyond a horizontal line through the center of the ring-roll when in its normal position, and preferably the straight front edge of the said table is formed by a detachable facing-plate of steel. The

table is provided With an extension, preferably in the form of a detachable top plate, which is adjustable to properly position the ring-roll with relation to the knife. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a sufficient portion of a leather-splitting machine embodying this invention to enable it to be understood; Fig. 2, a detail in plan of the ring plate or table detached from the machine; Fig. 3, a detail to be referred to, and Fig. at a vertical section of a leather-splitting machine as now commonly constructed and known to me.

In order that my invention maybe thoroughly understood, I will first describe the construction and mode of operation of a leather-splitting machine of ordinary construction.

' Referring to Fig. 4, a represents the rubber covering 0n the bed-roll b, with which cooperates a sectional ring-roll, each section comprising a small flanged ring or disk 0, loose on a shaft (1, and a larger flanged disk or ring e, within which the ring or disk 0 is located, the larger ring or disk having a central opening to permit it to move toward the bed-roll as the leather, which is fed between said ringroll and the gage-roll f, increases in thickness. g 7t represent the jaws, which guide a belt-knife 2', (represented by the heavy black line.) The ring-roll supports the leather and is located between the substantially-horizontal ring plate or table j on the back side of the machine and an inclined table It on the front side of the machine. The front face m of the tablej is curved, and its edge limits the upward movement of the ring-roll. Normally the ring-roll occupies the position indicated byfull lines, with its center in a vertical line at othrough thecenter of the gage-roll, and in this positionot the ring-roll the leather passed between the gage-roll and ring-roll is presented to the splitting-knife ina plane substantially, at right angles to the normal vertical line at 0. In this normal position of the ring-roll the leather is evenly split but when a thicker portion of the leather engages the ring-roll the latter is forced downward,

and at the same time its rotary motion carries it backward until it engages the curved front face an of the table or plate j, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position of the ring-roll it will be noticed that the center of said ring-roll has been carried latorally with relation to the normal vertical line n 0 and into the inclined line r, passing through the center of the ring-roll and gageroll.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the line 19 r is inclined with relation to the plane in which the knife moves and not at right angles thereto, as is the line at 0. Consequently as the thicker leather is fed to the knife it is presented at an angle to the plane of movement of the knife rather than in the same plane therewith,thus causing the leather to be unevenly split, being thinner in some places than in other parts.

This invention, as above stated, has for its object to prevent uneven splitting of the leather, and this is effected by confining the ring-roll so that it moves vertically in the same plane with its center in the line it 0 under all conditions, and this may be effected as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the ring plate or table j has its front edge made straight and parallel with the vertical line at 0, and the said front edge has secured to it, as by screws 2, a facing-plate 3, of steel, which is extended to and preferably beyond a horizontal line through the center of the ring-roll in its normal position. The facing-plate 3 cooperates with the straight face 4 of the inclined table k to form a vertical passage or guideway of a width equal to thediameter of the ring-roll and in which the said ring-roll is free to move vertically, but is prevented from moving laterally, as the ring-roll is forced down into the elastic covering of the bed-roll by a thicker portion of the hide or skin passing between the gage-roll and said ring-roll, which results in the thicker portion of the hide or skin being presented to the knife in the same plane therewith and in the same plane in which the thinner portion of the hide or skin is presented to said knife,consequently insuring an even and uniform splitting of said hide or skin,which is very desirable practically. The table j may and preferably will be provided with a detachable top plate 5, which is adjustably secured to the upper surface of said table, as by screws 6, inserted through slots 9 in said top plate, which may also be made of steel and has its front edge curved to correspond to the ring e. The top plate 5 may and preferably will rest on a recessed portion of the'table and may be held down on said recessed portion by a thin plate or bar 8, secured to the table, as by screws 9. The table j is made adjustable vertically by screws 10, so as to properly position the top plate 5, and

thereby the ring-roll,with relation to the gage- I port for the material being acted upon provided with a straight front face substantially parallel with a vertical line through the center of the gage and ring roll in their normal position, and extended toward the bed-roll a sufficient distance to prevent lateral movement of the ring-roll when the latter is forced down into said bed-roll, for the purpose speci= fied.

2.- In a machine of the class described, the combination with a bed-roll, a gage-roll and an intermediate ring-roll, of means cooperating with said ring-roll to prevent lateral movement of the same when forced down into the bed-roll, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a bed-roll, a gage-roll, and

an intermediate ring-roll, of atable provided with a detachable face-plate cooperating with said ring-roll and having its front face substantially parallel with a vertical line through the center of the gage-roll and ring-roll when in their normal position, and an adjustable top plate secured to the upper surface of the said table and adjustable toward and. from said normal vertical line, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a bed-roll, a gage-roll, and an intermediate ring-roll, of a vertically adjustable table provided with a detachable faceplate cooperating with said ring-roll and having its front face substantially parallel with a vertical line through the center of the gage-roll and ring-roll when in their normal position, and means to lock said table in its adjusted position, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the class described, a table provided with a detachable face-plate 3 and with an adjustable top plate 5, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANKLIN J. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

B. H. STREAMBERG, ROGER A. POOR. 

